Friday, February 3, 2012

I'd never thought I'd ask someone to take me to Hooters for Valentine's Day, but if I lived in Tokyo, that would be just the case. Japan's first installment of the franchise, which opened in Akihabara this past October, is now offering a promotion through February 14th, where you can get a jumbo Hello Kitty parfait to share with your Valentine. The massive dessert comes in two sizes - "Volcano of Love" ($30) and "Rocket of Love" ($11), and the first 1,000 customers to take advantage of the offer will get a Hello Kitty x Hooters pin for free.

Sanrio is very strict about the use of Hello Kitty's image, so obviously they gave their stamp of approval on the unusual partnership. While we would never (ever, ever) see a promotion like this in the United States, Slate had an interesting article about the launch of the Tokyo restaurant last year, and how the prevalence of maid cafes in the region made the idea of a cosplay, or dress-up themed restaurant an easier cultural fit.

Crunchyroll writer Scott Greens muses, "Are things so tough out there that Kitty has to work at Hooters to make ends meet?" Perhaps, but more likely than not, the stint is just one more well-padded stop in her journey towards total world domination.